
"I Had the Full Heart of the Question In My Hand."
From #AmWriting by KJ
March 6, 2026 · 24 min · Episode 494
About this episode
KJ Dell’Antonia discusses the debut novel 'The Fountain' by Casey Scieszka and the creative process behind it.
It’s very rare for me to demand that the readers of my #AmReading substack pre-order something. And the bar to be my “Just One Book” is high. But here we go: The book is The Fountain —debut speculative fiction from Casey Scieszka —and you’ll want to read it, but even more, you’ll want to hear us talk about what it took to pull this big, beautiful novel from her Tuck-Everlasting-loving soul. And here’s the question her agent asked her that is now stuck on a post-it on my computer and may be my next tattoo: How can you reveal these things in action? Casey is reading: Open Throat by Henry Hoke (“It’s funny and deeply tender and unlike anything I’ve ever read.” Follow Casey on Instagram and Substack: Spruceton Inn . Transcript Below! EPISODE TRANSCRIPT KJ Dell’Antonia This is the Hashtag AmWriting Podcast , the place where we help you play big in your writing life, love the process, and finish what matters. I am KJ Dell’Antonia, and today we’re talking with Casey Scieszka . And I meant to ask Casey how to pronounce her last name before we started. How’d I do? Casey Scieszka I think you did great. Especially over in Poland, we say “SHESH-kah” over here, but I’ve been corrected many…
People in this episode
Host: KJ Dell’Antonia
Guest: Casey Scieszka
Topics covered
- speculative fiction
- writing process
- book recommendations
Keywords
- The Fountain
- Open Throat
- Casey Scieszka
- KJ Dell’Antonia
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Hashtag AmWriting, The Fountain, Open Throat
Books & works: I Had the Full Heart of the Question In My Hand, #AmReading substack, The Fountain, Open Throat, Tuck Everlasting
Places: Poland, New York, China, West Africa, Timbuktu, the Catskill Mountains
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- Write the Book Readers Can’t Stop Recommending (Write Big, Ep 14) · February 27, 2026 · 17 min
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